About 4 months ago, I bought a red beta at Petco and keep in a big vase with some bamboo in it. I kept him in a bathroom with very little light and he really did not seem that happy at all. After a close encounter with death (some wierd oily gunk got in the water) I removed the bamboo and moved him into the bedroom next to a window that was bright, but no direct sunlight. His conditions improved quickly and I decided to move him into the kitchen where he could watch people (which he loves doing). He really started doing well, big bubble nests, really friendly, etc. All in a big vase! I cleaned the water every few days of course, but he really liked it. Since he seemed so happy, I bought him a 5 gal Marineland Corner tank and he really took to it.. However, it has a little bit of water current and he doesn't blow nests anymore. I then added 2 tetra's (they are round like a quarter and have 2 black strips) and he chased them around a bit at first, then backed off. Dispite what I have read, he really seemed to like swimming into the current.
About 2 weeks ago, I bought a 12 gal Marineland tank and moved most of the water and gravel over and put my three fish in the new tank. At first, I really thought my beta did not like it, it almost seemed that he thought it was too open (but I don't speak fish so that is a guess on my part). The current is significantly more powerful than the other tank, but the beta still chooses to constantly swim into the current instead of going to a more still area in the tank. When he is resting, he hides behind the filter housing, but immediatly comes out if anyone is walking near the tank - but still no bubble nests. I assume that this is related to the amount of current in the tank.
My beta and 2 tetras all seem very happy and I have since added a dwarf guarami to my tank and he has integrated perfectly. I don't plan on adding many more fish because I want the smaller living quarters of my 12 gal tank to be a great place for my fish to live but I am planning on another tetra or two to facilitate schooling and maybe a lone bottom feeder.
Point of my story - my beta started out in a Petco cup and ended up with a few friends and a home many times larger than that and he appears very happy, despite the current and no bubble nests.
Anyone else have smaller community beta tank stories?
About 2 weeks ago, I bought a 12 gal Marineland tank and moved most of the water and gravel over and put my three fish in the new tank. At first, I really thought my beta did not like it, it almost seemed that he thought it was too open (but I don't speak fish so that is a guess on my part). The current is significantly more powerful than the other tank, but the beta still chooses to constantly swim into the current instead of going to a more still area in the tank. When he is resting, he hides behind the filter housing, but immediatly comes out if anyone is walking near the tank - but still no bubble nests. I assume that this is related to the amount of current in the tank.
My beta and 2 tetras all seem very happy and I have since added a dwarf guarami to my tank and he has integrated perfectly. I don't plan on adding many more fish because I want the smaller living quarters of my 12 gal tank to be a great place for my fish to live but I am planning on another tetra or two to facilitate schooling and maybe a lone bottom feeder.
Point of my story - my beta started out in a Petco cup and ended up with a few friends and a home many times larger than that and he appears very happy, despite the current and no bubble nests.
Anyone else have smaller community beta tank stories?
I do miss seeing a nest also, but I know my bettas are very happy in their tanks. One of my bettas plays in the bubble stream from the sponge filter occasionally. As long as you have an area in the tank where the flow isn't as strong, the betta can go there to rest if he wants to. 
